Riddle's Plea

Future-Past*

(T.M.R. March 22nd, 1944)

    It was over a month after my world was flipped upside down when Albus Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts. He returned to the school with an Order Of Merlin (First Class) and the Daily Prophet had made a spectacle over Dumbledore's legendary and deadly duel with Gellert Grindelwald. For the past month every single front page highlighted Albus Dumbledore as the world's greatest wizard due to his supposed defeat over Grindelwald and the end of the near War. I had grown increasingly agitated with the papers and the gossip that was heard throughout the school on a daily basis and restricted myself to spending most of my time in the Room Of Requirement with Olivia, Abraxas and Vienna. Most of our time was divided between actual studying and asking Vienna as many questions about the future that we could think of. She didn't give away a lot of things, claiming she wanted some information to be a 'surprise', but she did fill in questions about her life...and mine. I still didn't know what to think about all of it, but it did bring me some comfort knowing that I would never become that...thing. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I also felt increasingly proud over the fact that Vienna was practically made for me. Of course Vienna was still very much independent, incredibly smart, annoyingly wise and sometimes blindingly beautiful. It felt as if I was sinking into something that I couldn't explain, I spent half my time practically growling at anybody who came her way and the other half was spent distancing myself from her. The further I sank the more I either let myself embrace it or I would thrash against it.  It was just yesterday when I had one of these moments when Vienna had asked me to pass a book and I practically bit her head off. She then proceeded to take the book from under my nose and smack it against my head leaving a lingering headache and a warm feeling of admiration in my chest. It was odd and probably unhealthy. 

    "Albus is finally back." Vienna's voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I look over to where she's perched in her Gryffindor themed chair. Traitor. Her hair was piled onto the top of her head in a messy bun, an oversized jumper swallowing her frame and a wonderful pair of what she calls 'yoga pants' hugging her crossed legs. Since she told us about her being from the future she no longer cared to dress the way of the 1940's around us, and to be quite honest, I didn't really mind either, especially because of the 'yoga pants'. Abraxas didn't mind either considering Olivia had taken a liking to Vienna's futuristic fashion choices. "I heard. It's about time he returned. The substitute for Transfiguration is an absolute Troll." Olivia's words cause a light chuckle from Vienna and Abraxas. I allowed her a small smirk which she rolled her eyes at causing my smirk to widen. "I still don't understand why you didn't take the glory Vi." This had been a topic of conversation many times between all of us and Vienna rolled her eyes and huffed with Ab's words. "Because. Albus was supposed to defeat Grindelwald Ab. Plus if the Ministry ever found out about me, I would probably be locked away for 'experimentation' and that's just a bad idea." I hummed in agreement, smothering that feeling of anger of the prospect of anyone trying to take Vienna away again. "Not to mention, I don't think it would have blown over well if the Ministry or the wizarding world for that matter found out a 16 year old girl with druid power managed to violently murder Gellert Grindelwald and his followers over a boy." Her words caused all three of us to laugh and it wasn't long before she gave me a cheeky smile herself. "Now come on you lot! Up you go!" She rises from her seat, wincing just a little as her legs stretch and clapping her hands together. "What? We're going with you?" Olivia's voice was confused as she stood slowly from her chair. "Well yeah. You know everything now. No point in not allowing you to be in Albus and I's top secret meetings." I scoffed at her words and she playfully smacked me in the arm when I stood. "Besides...I have no clue how I got back to the castle that night. Maybe Albus can fill me in." She looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking away the memory and picking up her bag off of the floor. "It's after curfew though. What if we get caught?" This time Vienna was the one who let out a scoff over Olivia's timid question. "Liv. You're a Prefect as well as Tom and I. If we get caught we'll just say we caught Abraxas practicing dark deeds." I let out a chuckle as Abraxas sputtered as he stood.